Do you know how to keep your children safe in a 24-7, always connected digital society? Second Edition updates: The 2nd edition includes all new chapters and content and has been updated to reflect changes in the technological landscape including new device concerns, apps settings, stories from students, data gathered from live student audiences, and more.
Sometimes I feel like Chicken Little shouting: “The sky is falling,” but then I turn on the news the next morning, and a chunk of the sky falls into my coffee.
As your children travel through the digital world they are also going to experience its underbelly; a dark place filled with cyberbullying, sexting, and sexual predation. Most parents believe that they should discuss this issue of digital safety with their children around the time that puberty hits. This is completely incorrect.
The discussion about digital safety needs to begin the very first time your child uses a tablet or a smartphone without mom or dad literally sitting right next to them. Children as young as 8 years old are regular consumers of pornography. Middle school students are going to prison as a result of felony sexting. Sexual predators are hanging out in the same games and apps where your children are.
Get educated, today.
* Read each chapter’s Action Items and implement them today in your own home.
* Use the Conversation Starters in each chapter to begin a dialogue with children of any age.
* Find out if your child is ready for a cell phone.
* Learn why YouTube is the biggest pornography risk in your home.
* Learn how Minecraft can be either completely safe or a harbor for sexual predators.
* Learn why children as young as 11 years old are being charged with child pornography felonies.
* Learn how to lock down your wifi signal and your child’s devices.
* Learn why the new beginning age for pornography consumption is 8 years old.
* Learn which social platforms experience the most cyberbullying.
* Educate yourself on the specific apps and social platforms that your child is probably using including specific settings and risks for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Ask.fm, YouTube, and Gaming Consoles like Xbox and Playstation. Also included: Minecraft and game apps.
SECTION I: Understanding the Basics
**Chapter 1: The Central Issue
**Chapter 2: Parenting in Transition
**Chapter 3: Be Proactive
**Chapter 4: Media Literacy
**Chapter 5: How Do Your Children Connect?
**Chapter 6: Understand the Two Major Points of Vulnerability
SECTION II: Direct Threats
**Chapter 7: Cyberbullying
**Chapter 8: Sexting
**Chapter 9: Sexual Predation
SECTION III: Your Child’s Actual Digital Life
**Chapter 10: Understanding Social Media
**Chapter 11: Apps Review
SECTION IV: Parental Engagement
**Chapter 12: The Children I've Met
**Chapter 13: What You can Do Today
**Chapter 14: Big Mama's Guide to Resources
**Appendix 1: Family Rules
**Appendix 2: Family Contract
**Appendix 3: Web Statistics
**Appendix 4: Frequently Asked Questions
**Appendix 5: Thank You to Law Enforcement
Jesse Weinberger, owner of OvernightGeek University is a nationally recognized Internet Safety expert, speaker, and presenter. Since 2003, Jesse has been presenting to parents, students, teachers, and school districts all over the United States. As a respected expert and leader in this field, she is frequently sought out by media, educators, administrators, and law enforcement for guidance on how to manage and improve the digital lives of children all over the United States. Learn more about the author at http://www.overnightgeekuniversity.com
